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Picture a library where all the books are perfectly organized on shelves, the librarian knows exactly where to find the answer to any question, and the doors never close.
That’s what the best knowledge base software does for your organization—a place where every piece information is neatly stored, ready to serve you 24/7.
In this article, we look at what knowledge base software solutions are and the best knowledge base software in the market.
What is knowledge base software?
Knowledge base software lets you build a centralized, dedicated space for creating, managing, and sharing information within an organization or to external users and other stakeholders.
Two categories of knowledge base can be created:
Internal knowledge base
This type of knowledge base is used within an organization to provide information to employees such as company policies, training materials, or troubleshooting guides.
An internal KB can be hosted on dedicated platforms or integrated with existing tools, like help desk software.
External knowledge base
External knowledge bases are self-service resources for customers. They include FAQs, product manuals, troubleshooting guides, how-to videos, and how-to articles.
Types of knowledge base tools
Knowledge base software includes numerous tools, each with its own set of features. Let’s look at the common ones.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) platform
FAQs provide quick answers to common queries. They are usually structured in a question-and-answer format.
Community forum
Community forums are platforms businesses create for users to engage and share knowledge.
The forum can be through discussions, asking or answering questions and sharing or exchanging ideas. They enable peer-to-peer support and ensure a knowledge-rich community.
Troubleshooting guides
Troubleshooting guides are instructions that give logical steps or instructions on how users can resolve certain issues with their products or services independently.
User manuals
User manuals are comprehensive documents that provide users with detailed information on how to effectively use and operate a particular product or system.
These guides include technical specifications and information.
Self-service portals
Self-service portals are centralized, online platforms dedicated to empower users to access information and perform tasks like completing transactions without direct assistance from support staff.
The best knowledge base software on the market
Choosing the best knowledge base tool for your business can be challenging given the many options available. Here are the 12 leading knowledge base solutions.
1. BoldDesk
BoldDesk’s knowledge base software is designed to help businesses create, manage, store, and publish documentation for improved customer support and internal knowledge sharing objectives.
As one of the Zendesk alternatives, its intuitive and user-friendly, so team members and external users can quickly find information and contribute to the collective knowledge of the organization.
With the capability to generate unlimited knowledge base articles, BoldDesk is flexible for building out the self-service resources for any brand or product.
BoldDesk’s autosuggest and AI features enhances the user experience by recommending relevant articles and solutions based on keywords in support tickets.
Tags and the ability to manage categories and sections make organizing content intuitive. Articles can also be arranged in the preferred order using a simple drag-and-drop interface.
BoldDesk’s KB tool also allows category-level access control to further refine content visibility, ensuring that specific user groups can only see what is relevant to them.
BoldDesk also boasts a robust article editor that simplifies the writing and editing process, equipped with Markdown and HTML (WYSIWYG) capabilities, autosave, and version control. This editor also offers an instant preview feature, alongside the ability to attach files, embed images and videos, and use code blocks to enrich content.
Building a multilingual knowledge base is straightforward with BoldDesk, allowing you to serve a global audience in its preferred languages. Making it a top choice among Helpscout alternatives.
BoldDesk personalizes customers’ experiences within the self-help tools through comments, private notes, and @mentions. Its satisfaction feedback options allow users to leave insightful comments that help you maintain the quality and relevance of your knowledge base.
The software comes packed with additional tools to enhance your content management, including article templates; expiration settings; reordering, cloning, and sharing options; status indicators; and advanced filters.
It also provides an internal option for publishing sensitive documentation so that information is accessible only to authorized personnel.
BoldDesk also prioritizes SEO and social media optimization with on-page SEO tools, SEO-friendly URLs, sitemap generation, and Open Graph support, ensuring your content is easily discoverable and shareable.
Additionally, it has branding and customization options, from feedback labels to white labeling and custom domains, all with built-in SSL support.
Security is paramount—that’s why BoldDesk includes roles and permissions to control access, single sign-on for convenience, robust password policies, IP restrictions, and detailed audit logs for transparency and compliance.
Top features
- User-friendly editor: Create and edit knowledge base articles without any coding expertise.
- Multilingual support: Reach and engage global audiences through translating content to different languages.
- Powerful search: Utilize advanced search features and gain insight into user search behavior to optimize content and make it easy to find.
- Collaboration tools: Allow multiple agents to work on articles simultaneously for better quality of the content.
- AI-powered features: Leverage AI for functionalities like content suggestions and automatic summarization.
- Branding and customization: Customize the knowledge base appearance to match your brand and website design.
- Content organization: Organize articles into categories and subcategories for better navigation and searchability.
- Custom templates: Empower agents to create and post content quicker and smarter with knowledge base article templates.
- Article performance tracking: Gauge article engagement via views, likes, dislikes, and comments, with integrated performance tracking and customer experience metrics.
- Unlimited articles: Generate an unlimited number of knowledge-based AI articles various brands and products.
- Community forums: Enable your customers to come together and share ideas, ask questions, provide support, and share their experiences.
- Roles and permissions: Maintain the integrity and security of the information stored within your knowledge base.
- SEO and social-friendly tools: Enhance your help center materials for improved search engine visibility and social media engagement.
Pricing
| Agent-Based plans | Unlimited agents plan |
| Scale: $12/agent/month | Essential: $799/month |
| Momentum: $25/agent/month | Pro: $1499/month |
| Enterprise: $39/agent/month | Business: Contact us |
Free trial: Enjoy a 15-day trial at no cost, with immediate access, no credit card requirement, and the option to cancel at any time.
Reach out to the BoldDesk support team to arrange a 30-minute live demo to see how our best knowledge base software can effectively meet your needs.
2. Zendesk
Zendesk help center software is part of Zendesk for Service, a comprehensive customer service platform.
It enables businesses to create a self-service support center where customers can find answers to their queries without interacting with support agents.
Zendesk’s knowledge base software solution empowers businesses to create, organize, and manage a centralized source of information.
Top features
- Generative AI tools
- Team collaboration and editing
- Reporting and analytics
- Branding and customization
- Roles and permissions
| PRICING | |
| Suite Team |
|
| Suite Growth |
|
| Suite Professional |
|
| Suite Enterprise |
|
Free trial: 14 days
3. Confluence
Confluence is a collaboration and documentation tool developed by Atlassian, designed to facilitate teamwork and knowledge sharing within organizations.
It integrates effortlessly with other Atlassian products, such as Jira, to provide a comprehensive solution for project management and collaboration.
Free trial: 7 days
Top features
- Search and navigation
- Roles and permissions
- Prebuilt templates
- Reporting and analytics
- Team collaboration and editing
| PRICING | |
| Free |
|
| Standard |
|
| Premium |
|
| Enterprise |
|
Free trial duration: 7 days
4. Document360
Document360 is a comprehensive knowledge base platform that empowers businesses to create and maintain documentation, FAQs, user guides, and tutorials.
The software is designed with a user-friendly interface, making it accessible to both users with technical expertise and those without.
Top features
- Branding and customization
- Version control
- Reporting and analytics
- Team collaboration and editing
- Roles and permissions
| PRICING | |
| Standard |
|
| Professional |
|
| Business |
|
| Enterprise |
|
Free trial duration: 14 days
5. Notion
Notion is a multifunctional tool for users to create, manage, and organize content in a flexible and customizable workspace.
It features a block-based structure, enabling users to combine various types of content blocks such as text, images, databases, tasks, and more within a single page.
Notion is designed for collaboration, providing real-time editing, and commenting features.
Top features
- Branding and customization
- Collaboration and sharing
- Roles and permissions
- Customizable templates
- Reporting and analytics
| PRICING | |
| Free |
|
| Plus |
|
| Business |
|
| Enterprise |
|
6. HubSpot Service Hub
HubSpot Service Hub offers knowledge base software as part of its comprehensive customer service platform.
HubSpot Service Hub knowledge base software can be a good option for businesses of all sizes, especially those already using other HubSpot tools.
It offers a user-friendly interface, strong integration capabilities, and features designed to improve
customer service and self-service.
Top features
- Reporting and analytics
- SEO tools
- Roles and permissions
- Branding and customization
- Team collaboration and editing
| PRICING | |
| Starter |
|
| Professional |
|
| Enterprise |
|
7. Help Scout
Help Scout offers a knowledge base feature as part of its customer service platform. It is a great choice for businesses seeking a simple, user-friendly, and affordable knowledge base software solution.
It’s particularly well-suited for smaller companies and teams that value a straightforward approach with essential features. However, it might be unsuitable for very large businesses or those that require highly complex functionalities.
Top features
- Reporting and analytics
- Integrations
- Roles and permissions
- Collision detection
- Collaboration and editing
| PRICING | |
| Standard |
|
| Plus |
|
| Pro |
|
Free trial duration: 15 days
8. Guru
Guru offers a comprehensive knowledge management system that focuses on context, collaboration, and proactive recommendations.
Top features
- AI-powered search
- Collaboration features
- Roles and permissions
- Integrations
- Team workspaces
| PRICING | |
| Plan |
|
Free trial duration: 30 days
9. Helpjuice
Helpjuice is one of the best knowledge base solution designed to assist organizations in creating, managing, and sharing internal and external knowledge.
It is a good option for businesses of various sizes looking for a simple, affordable, and user-friendly knowledge base solution.
Top features
- User-friendly interface
- Search functionality
- Collaborative content creation and management
- Analytics and reporting
| PRICING | |
| Starter |
|
| Run-up |
|
| Premium limited |
|
| Enterprise |
|
Free trial duration: 14 days
10. Nuclino
Nuclino is web-based knowledge base software that positions itself as a unified workspace for teams to combine all their knowledge, documents, and projects together in one place.
It is known for its simple, intuitive, and distraction-free interface, making it easy for anyone to quickly get started with the tool.
Top features
- Simple, intuitive interface
- Drag-and-drop functionality
- Rich text editing
- Search
- Integrations
| PRICING | |
| Free |
|
| Standard |
|
| Premium |
|
11. Bloomfire
Bloomfire is a knowledge-sharing and collaboration tool designed to help teams organize, share, and leverage collective knowledge.
This knowledge management software leverages AI to optimize knowledge sharing and streamline access to critical information.
Top features
- AI-powered search and discovery
- Easy content creation and sharing
- Collaboration features
| PRICING | |
| Plan |
|
Free trial duration: 30 days
12. Slite
Slite is a popular knowledge base software that helps teams organize, share, and find information. It is designed to be simple and easy to use, so that anyone can effortlessly create and manage content.
With Slite, teams can write and organize notes, create documents with rich formatting options, build knowledge bases, and set up shared channels for different projects or topics.
Top features
- Real-time collaboration
- Search
- Integrations
- Access control
| PRICING | |
| Standard |
|
| Premium |
|
| Enterprise |
|
Comparison table for the best knowledge base solutions on the market
Here is a summary of the best knowledge base systems worth considering today!
| KNOWLEDGE BASE TOOL AND FEATURES | STARTING PRICE |
BoldDesk
|
$12/agent/month |
Zendesk
|
$55/month |
Confluence
|
$6.05/agent/month |
Document360
|
$149/project/month |
Notion
|
$8/user/month |
HubSpot Service Hub
|
$15/agent/month |
Help Scout
|
$20/user/month |
Guru
|
$15/user/month |
Helpjuice
|
$120/user/month |
Nuclino
|
$5/user/month |
Bloomfire
|
Contact for pricing |
Slite
|
$8/user/month |
Features of the best knowledge base systems
Knowledge base software comes equipped with a variety of features designed to streamline information management and enhance user experiences.
Here are some of the key features that make knowledge base solutions effective:
- Search functionality: The best knowledge base system should have a robust search features like auto-suggest, keyword-based search and more, for users to quickly find what they are looking for.
- User-friendly interface: The knowledge base design should be clean, with a clear structure to easily use and navigate through the pages or find answers without additional guidance.
- Categorization and tagging: Organizing information into categories and using keywords or specific tags allows users to easily browse the knowledge base for answers.
- Scalability: As an organization grows, its knowledge base must be able to scale accordingly. This means it should be built on a platform that can handle a rising number of users and articles without performance issues.
- Analytics and reporting: Reporting and analytics tools track how users interact with the knowledge base, which articles are most popular, and where users face difficulties. Knowledge base metrics are essential for continually improving the knowledge base content.
- Integration capabilities: A knowledge base may need to integrate with other systems, such as help desk software. This gives both users and support agents access to knowledge base articles directly through support tickets.
- Accessibility: Knowledge bases should be accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. This means complying with web accessibility standards and ensuring that content can be consumed in various ways, such as through screen readers.
- Automation and AI integration: Helpdesk automation and AI integration in knowledge base systems significantly transform the way information is managed, accessed, and utilized. Knowledge-based AI and AI for customer experience features such as auto-tagging and content recommendations improve efficiency and provide personalized user experiences.
Benefits of knowledge base software
Knowledge base software isn’t just a fancy storage unit for information—it’s a powerful tool that can transform your business. Here are several ways knowledge base tools are important.
Here are some key benefits of using knowledge base tools:
• Improved customer self-service
Self-service knowledge base software allows users to find answers to their questions quickly and independently using customer self-service resources. Customers don’t have to interact with support staff.
• Reduced support tickets
Having a comprehensive knowledge base with easily accessible information can significantly reduce the number of support tickets. It enables support staff to take a chance on customer focus and work on on more complex issues that require personal attention to boost their productivity.
• 24/7 availability
A knowledge base is available online round-the-clock, providing users with access to information at all times. This is especially beneficial for businesses that serve customers in different time zones.
• Cost-effective support
Knowledge base software can be a cost-effective support solution for businesses. Using the IT help desk reduces the number of support tickets and saves resources that would otherwise be spent on customer support.
• Provides consistent information
The information within a knowledge base software ensures all users get the same answers to similar issues.
• Increased efficiency
Support agents can use the knowledge base to find information quickly, which can increase their efficiency and productivity. This also helps in providing faster responses to user inquiries.
Knowledge base software implementation options
Effectively delivering knowledge base software can take different forms that cater to the needs of both the organization creating the knowledge base and the end users who will be accessing it. The following are some common approaches for delivering knowledge base software:
• SaaS (Software as a Service) knowledge base software
SaaS knowledge base software is hosted and maintained by a provider, accessible through subscription-based models. Users can access the software over the internet without needing to install or manage it locally.
• Open-source knowledge base software
Open-source knowledge base software refers to platforms with a freely available source code for anyone to view, modify, and distribute. Users have full control over customization and deployment.
• Free knowledge base software
Free knowledge base software and free helpdesk software offer basic features at no cost. They often target smaller teams or projects and may have limitations compared to paid versions or other types of knowledge base software.
Relationship to knowledge base management
Knowledge base software and knowledge base management are two essential components of an organization’s information management strategy.
Knowledge base software provides the platform for storing, organizing, and retrieving knowledge, while knowledge base management is the process of ensuring the knowledge within the software is accurate, up-to-date, and easily accessible.
The relationship between knowledge base software and knowledge base management is mutually beneficial. Effective knowledge base management maximizes the potential of the software, leading to a more informed and efficient organization.
Choosing the best knowledge base software for your business
Knowledge base solutions aren’t one-size-fits-all. They require careful considerations of your unique requirements, goals, and budget.
Businesses should understand the different types of knowledge base software solutions available, their key features, and potential benefits. This will help them make decisions that empower their customers, streamline their team’s workflow operations, and fuel their growth.
Please leave a comment below on any suggestions related to the best knowledge base software!
FAQs on the best knowledge base tools
1. What is knowledge base software?
A knowledge base refers to a unified repository of information for organizations to create, maintain, and manage content. It includes self-help resources such as FAQs, articles and how-to guides that help users find solutions to their issues and learn more about a product or service.
2. Who uses knowledge base software?
Knowledge base software is used by a variety of end users, including customer service teams, employees, managers, stakeholders, and customers. It is particularly valuable for customer support, IT departments, HR, and any team that requires a repository of knowledge.
3. How does having the best knowledge base system benefit an organization?
Knowledge base software improves operational efficiency by allowing employees to quickly find useful information. It also provides resources for customers to get instant access to answer, ensuring quick issue resolution.
4. Can knowledge base software help with SEO?
Yes, providing answers to common questions and topics can make your knowledge base be indexed by search engines and assist in driving organic traffic to your website. This ensures better visibility and relevance of your brand.
5. Is it difficult to set up knowledge base software?
The difficulty varies depending on the software chosen. BoldDesk, for instance, offers intuitive interfaces and easy-to-use tools for setting up and managing content.
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